Castlevania Tales: A Tale of Wolves
by victor-cardigan
Summary: Cornell is a man torn between two worlds. Unsure whether to embrace his animal instincts or to fight for his humanity, he embarks upon a journey to find his true fate. Along the way Cornell will meet old allies and discover the dark origins of the manwolf
1. Waiting for Dreams

1. Waiting for dreams.  
  
A cold wind permeated through the land. He had traveled for many days. The cold had not let up for a moment. At night, when only the moon lit the land, he felt as though he were in the icy north lands. At these times he longed for the thick fur that once protected his body years past.  
  
There was something else he yearned for. A feeling that he was being pursued, hunted, racked his senses. When he felt overwhelmed, his body cried out its desire to hunt down his enemy and eat him alive. But his reason was afflicted by something. It was a conflict. He had lost his way. He had lost his sense of self.  
  
Was he an animal?  
  
Was he a man?  
  
Only animals hunt their own kind.  
  
These were the thoughts that floated around in his mind. His head pounded and ached. It was late. He would try to rest now. His tired figure rolled and buried itself in a bed of leaves. The cold air still entrenched itself in his body. He closed his eyes and waited, patiently, for the arms of a dream filled sleep to wrap itself around him. 


	2. A Wolf Tale

2. Wolf Tale  
  
Long ago, in the days before Rome ruled the world.  
  
"Oh great Gods, look down upon your servants and be merciful. We, the people of Wolfgar, till the land, revere your works, and live in peace!"  
  
The elderly man had his arms stretched upwards as he spoke. When he had finished, he crossed his arms across his breast, bowed, and kissed the ground. The elder man then rose from the ground and turned to face the small group of people that stood behind him. He frowned when he saw how few of the villagers had come today. Just by looking into the faces of those who did come, he could see their faith waning. Nevertheless, Remar, high priest of the town of Wolfgar would not be deterred. Remar walked towards a nearby table where the sacrificial beast lay. He picked up the slain animal and laid it in a pyre ten feet away from where he had previously been kneeling. Once more a stretched out his arms and spoke in a loud and booming voice.  
  
"May this sacrifice be worthy of you!"  
  
Remar kneeled again on the ground. This time he stared into the thick forest that lay ahead of them. Remar and the crowd behind him were silent. All of them became intensely aware of the slightest gust of wind, the slightest movement of body, and even the sound of each other's breathing. While others allowed their gaze to wander, Remar never broke away from the patch of forest before him. Minutes passed and he sensed something moving in the woods. He closed his eyes for a moment and begged that the goods would accept this sacrifice. It had been the fifth over a span of several days. Each time Remar performed the ceremony as he had for years, and each time the wolf rejected their generosity. With his eyes, Remar followed the wolf as it walked back and forth, hidden behind the bushes. Finally, after several minutes, it disappeared. When Remar was certain that the wolf had abandoned them he merely allowed himself to gently fall to the ground. As his forehead touched the ground he began to pray incessantly. He did not bother to check if anyone from the village decided to remain. He knew that none would. After he had finished his twelfth prayer he saw two clothed feet appear in his peripheral vision.  
  
"Waste. Great waste." The figure from behind said to him. It was a young voice.  
  
Remar looked up from the ground. The face of the young man that greeted him was the one he expected. "It is called faith, Kern." Remar walked towards the table where the animal sacrifice had been before. On it lay several sticks. Remar took two in his hands and turned to walk towards the pyre. Kern grabbed Remar by the arm.  
  
"Women and children are starving, and you would waste away meat that can still be cooked?"  
  
"The laws of our Gods must be obeyed."  
  
"They have abandoned us!"  
  
"They have not. They are displeased. When your parents are displeased with you, do you cease to honor them?"  
  
"Remar! We are dying! You come here every two days and try to feed a wolf that needs no feeding."  
  
"If we please the Gods then the land will become fertile again."  
  
"The land is stricken with a blight. We must leave here or die. If you tell our leaders to move then they will listen."  
  
Remar freed his arm from Kern's grasp and continued to walk towards the pyre. Kern watched in frustration as Remar kneeled before the pyre. With the two sticks and the stones tat lay underneath the pyre Remar set it alight. Kern watched Remar fan the flames until he could no longer bear to watch. He then turned and began to walk through the path that stretched through the middle of their village.  
  
The village of Wolfgar is a small village hidden opposite a thick wooded forest and backed by the base of a large mountain range. Many years ago the ancestors of the Wolfgars were a nomadic tribe traveling over vast stretches of land. They hunted until the game moved onwards. As they traveled they always competed with the wolves that also hunted similar game. According to the stories passed down through the ages, the ancient Wolfgars spared the life of a ferocious wolf. The wolf was the carrier of the spirit of the Gods and therefore they were pleased at this. The Wolfgars and the Gods made a deal to live in harmony with the wolves. Thus, the Wolfgars settled and have lived in the village of Wolfgar for many years.  
  
As of late, the land they farmed has become sterile. The game they hint is insufficient because the wolves hunt quicker and better than they do. Food is now a scarcity and many have died or fallen ill. As Kern walked the path he could see several mothers sitting outside their huts with their children crying. They cry because they are hungry. Kern felt as his own stomach began to ache. He had not eaten in a day or more. Kern reached his own hut. There he lay on his bed and tried to forget his hunger. For many hours he lay there but the more time passed the greater the pain became. Night had fallen and the pain did not allow Kern to sleep. He could bear the pain no longer. Kern jumped from his bed and grabbed his bow and arrow. He would go into the woods and find his own game. As he stepped out of his hut, Kern stared up at the sky. It was pure back save for one spot. A crescent shaped moon hung above their village. Around it was a light blue aura that surrounded it. Kern looked at it and hoped it would bring him luck. Kern then disappeared into the woods.  
  
For many long hours it seemed, Kern wander through the woods. He was not an exceptional hunter, but he knew the basics. After searching endlessly, Kern's quiver was still full. He had not shot an arrow because he had not found anything at all. It seemed as though all the animals had gone into hiding for the night.  
  
"How could this be?"  
  
Then Kern stumbled upon something unexpected. It was a small pond. Kern held back the urge to charge in. Ponds were known to attract thirsty animals. Inwardly Kern smiled, for he himself was very thirsty. As Kern waited for some unsuspecting prey, he studied the pond. It was nowhere near a perfect circle. Its shape was inexplicable. Its most significant attribute was the beautiful halo effect caused by the water reflecting the moon's light. It made the wooded area around the ponds light up in a most magical way. Kern found himself entranced by it. So much so, Kern did no feel time slip by him. He did not recover his senses until a silhouette moved in the bushes. Kern slowly, quietly, and carefully pulled an arrow from his quiver and readied it with his bow. As the silhouette came out of the shadows Kern hesitated to release his arrow. The figure was a wolf. In silence he watched as the wolf approached the water of the pond and began to drink from it.  
  
"A damned wolf." Kern cursed inwardly. He could not kill a wolf. They were sacred. They carried with them the spirit of the Gods. At least that is what Remar said. After watching his people starve Kern was no longer show what he believed. Kern began to speak to himself inwardly.  
  
"Remar says that the Gods can hear our thoughts. If the wolf carries them in this plane, then the wolf should hear what I am saying. Shouldn't it?"  
  
Kern saw that the wolf continued to drink from the pond but at one moment seemed to pause. Its head seemed to be scanning the area around it. Kern could not deny that his spirit leapt. "Can you hear me? Are searching for me? I am here, in the bushes. I am to your right!" Kern continued to speak internally. The wolf then continued drink its water. Anger began to swell inside Kern's heart. He felt foolish. Thinking that the animal could hear him. Nevertheless he continued to speak to himself in the same manner.  
  
"Can you hear me?"  
  
He raised his arms once more.  
  
"Can you?"  
  
Kern brought the bow level with his eye.  
  
"Can."  
  
His hand pulled the bowstring backwards, gently."  
  
"You."  
  
His aim brought him level with the wolf.  
  
"Hear."  
  
Kern felt his breath heighten.  
  
"Me!"  
  
The wolf suddenly turned and looked Kern directly in the eyes. As a reflex, Kern released the string and the arrow shot out like the wind.  
  
"No!" Kern yelled out loud. He leapt out from the bushes and charged towards the fallen wolf. The arrow went straight through the heart. The wolf was dead. Kern's mind raced as the gravity of his act dawned upon him. He felt fear fill up within him. Doubt floated up through his thoughts.  
  
What if he was wrong? What if Remar was right and the Gods were angry? This would bring bad fortune to all of them.  
  
"The village!"  
  
Kern stared at his blood filled hands and then ran back into the woods. He neither knew in which direction to go nor cared, so long as he got there and everything was all right. Behind him he failed to see how the moonlight being reflected by the pond water changed. As the blood of the wolf flowed into the pond, the water changed color and the pond no longer reflected the moonlight. The moonlight now reflected the color of the pond and it was blood red.  
  
As Kern ran through the forest he felt everything becoming colder. By the time he reached Wolfgar it was snowing. There he found everyone in the village outside of their huts and screaming.  
  
"What's happening? What wrong with you?" Kern yelled.  
  
"You did this!" A voice from behind said.  
  
Kern turned knowing already who it was.  
  
"This is your doing!" Remar said. His face was one filled with infinite pain.  
  
Kern stared up at the sky, the moon was now blood red. The sight of this signaled the beginning of his pain. He fell to his knees and joined the others as they screamed. The pain came from inside them. Soon Kern saw what was happening to them. He felt his nails grow longer. He watched, as his feet became larger. He sensed every fiber of his being transforming. As the hair began to grow on his arms Kern looked before him, towards the path that was the entrance to Wolfgar. To his surprise, Pack upon pack of wolves began to enter the village. The wolves surrounded them in a giant circle. As Kern's vision became blurry and his consciousness began to fade, Kern could hear the cry of the wolves. The man-wolves had been born.  
  
When his eyes opened once more, he had no memory of Kern. He felt confused. A voice in his head told him, "your name is Cornell. You are the blue crescent moon." 


	3. Solitary Hunter

Author's note:  
  
For those of you who have read my novel of Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, some of what transpires below may seem familiar to you. I say familiar because some of the things have changed since I first wrote them. I am currently revising the novel. For the purposes of this story I have had to reveal some those changes.  
  
For those who have not read my novel, good luck. You guys might find some things confusing. You see in my novel I diverted away from the game's story in many spots. First and foremost I introduced the character of Coller [the playable character that was deleted from the actual game and whose model was used to make the pestering Frankenstein gardener]. In this chapter I do my best to summarize his character arc from my novel so that he might be included in this story because he has a part to play.  
  
All of you might think you know what part he has to play because of the last lines of this chapter, but take it form me, you don't.  
  
The far away figure rolled himself into a bed of leaves before lying still and preparing for sleep. Through the viewfinder of a hunting rifle, the hunter watched as his prey desperately tried to fall asleep. After perhaps an hour of observation, he knew that the lone figure was not only asleep but dreaming. Possibly nightmares even.  
  
He himself had not slept in a long time. Many years had past since Coller felt the rapture of sleep overtake him. It was not a case of insomnia; he simply did not need it. His energy came from a different source. Many years ago, he was known as Coller the Hunter. The definitive article. The greatest hunter in.well at least the province of Wallachia. His reputation became great because he had more man-wolf killings to his name than anyone else. He had made it his business. Did he enjoy it? He never thought he did. In those days Coller never really thought about why he did what he did. He only did it.  
  
He was present when the man-wolves agreed to put an end to their conflict with the humans. Coller watched history unfold before his eyes. After a long and desperate winter that would have wiped out the village where he lived at the time, the man-wolves called upon the services of a great wizard. This wizard revealed the secret of the man wolves. "They were once humans, like us, but they were cursed." The wizard could not lift the curse, but he could seal away their powers and their form so that they could live their lives like humans. So he did and so did the man-wolves begin their lives anew. Coller meanwhile was left without a purpose. He left the village that had been his home for many years and wandered aimlessly. Finally he met her.  
  
"Camilla." her name floated off his lips.  
  
A powerful sorceress and current matriarch of the Fernandez family, Camilla was also the love of Coller's life. He saved her from being burned at the stake as a witch and continued to save her for years after that. But Coller could not save her from the strange affliction that struck her down into a feverish state. Her family traveled like gypsies in a wagon train. Their journey took them into the Dora Woods and finally into a dark and ominous swamp. It was in this dark place that Coller met the other most important woman in his life. She figured importantly in his life not because he loved Actrise, but because from the moment he met her, she would be an almost constant force driving him in one direction or another. Actrise was hell bent on guiding Coller though a life of perpetual torture. First she ripped away Camilla's soul and made her into one of her minions. She forced Camilla to destroy and scatter the remnants of the Fernandez family all over the countryside. Then Actrise baited Coller into journeying to the ruined remains of an old Wallachian castle. It was Castle Dracula.  
  
A heavy smile crossed Coller's face as he remembered what he found there. The castle that he was to spend so many years of his life inside of was in ruins when he arrived. A wealthy man had erected a villa for he and his family and had devoted himself to studying the ruins of the castle. Apparently he had traced his lineage to someone who lived in the castle. Jeremiah Oldrey, his son Henry, his wife Mary and even the gardener Victor, were all unsuspecting victims of what came after. Dark forces were hard at work to resurrect Dracula. Everyone in the villa in one way or another unwillingly helped in the return of the castle. Everyone watched in horror as the castle rebuilt itself and rose from the ruined grounds.  
  
With the castle back once more, things went bad, really bad. The missing ancestor he had been searching for, Gilles De Rais, turned Jeremiah into a vampire. Jeremiah would later kill Mary. As for Victor, the gardener, well he was turned into a mindless killing machine with a machete. Coller waited awhile to try and decide what to do next. It was then that he was met by none other than Cornell. He was apparently in search of his kidnapped sister like Coller was in search of Camilla. Together the two rescued the boy Henry and got as far as the soaring rooftops of the castle towers where they fought off mad harpies.  
  
Coller then recalled how he was separated from the others. He could still remember the first time he found himself in the clutches of Dracula. The pain that followed was as vivid a memory as the others that followed. Refusing to join the vampire willingly, Dracula used an unusual contraption of magical origin to transform him. The figure that Dracula left strapped to a table could only be described as a lizard man. In shame, Coller hoped that he would be left to rot, but then Actrise came. She promised him the return of Camilla if he would build weapons for Dracula's armies. At first Coller did not agree, but alone in the castle, he would have gone mad had he not. In the intervening years Coller was given carte blanche not only throughout the castle but through time itself. It seemed that Actrise had peeked into the future and had not liked what she saw. Apparently in the future magic was almost extinct. It was replaced by something that in our own time was something very new, technology. For this reason Actrise allowed Coller to walk into the future. What wonders Coller saw. But what horrors he brought back with him. The knowledge that Coller brought back with him was a double-edged sword. The secret of flight, the gasoline engine, and many others. One of the worst was the laser. A beam of light so powerful that it could burn right through the human body. After he had perfected some of this technology, Actrise wanted to see it in action. Coller recognized her real motive. She wanted to see if technology could defeat magic.  
  
The test subject of the test would be Victor, the gardener. After the castle had risen, Actrise had removed the poor man's soul and left him as a cold emotionless automaton. However the removal of his soul was not all. Actrise had placed within him a magical core. The core was the ultimate blessing and the ultimate curse at the same time. The core replaces the body's heart and acts as a limitless source of power. The person with a core beating in his or her chest can never die. However, that person cannot have a soul. Once the core is inside them, they are never the same again. And so Coller prepared his first "laser cannon" to be test fired on a man that was supposedly indestructible. To Actrise's delight, he proved just that. The laser pierced a hole into the gardener's body but nothing else. Coller stitched the dead man together again and Actrise left Coller to do more work, content that technology would never challenge her authority.  
  
Time progressed and Coller allowed himself to collaborate. He provided the gardener with a steam powered cutting blade to replace the hand he had lost in a previous battle, built motor machines that skeleton warriors could ride, and finally he built his greatest creation, the tower of science. The tower was one enormous unceasing machine. The tower meant to be the ultimate death trap to anyone who dared to enter the castle. Never did Coller suspect that it would be used against a grown up Henry Oldrey. After eight years Coller finally took a stand against those who had kept him in chains of servitude. Having built the tower he knew that there was only one way to turn it off, a small and inconspicuous lever well hidden behind large and fast moving gears. For the first time Coller found a use for his lizard body's ability to grow back appendages. Coller thrust his hand into the moving gears and threw the lever. The sight of his very own hand being ripped to shreds by large metal gears was not one that Coller could forget.  
  
To Coller's surprise Actrise appeared before him. Always looking for an opportunity to make herself an annoyance, the witch returned Coller to his human form before his lizard body could grow back his lost hand.  
  
"One of life's little ironies." Coller would think back in the future. Coller recalled his curses upon her and how ill chosen words lwould later haunt him.  
  
"I hope I live long enough to see you die you wretched hag!"  
  
The wicked smile that crept across Actrise's face would forever be etched into Coller's mind. Still weak from the blood lost from his hand, the witch was able to force him unto the ground without the use of magic. She then thrust her hand and slammed it hard against Coller's chest. Her eyes were lit with an evil red aura. Coller remembered the burning feeling coming from his chest. He recalled how he could feel something moving inside him.  
  
"I can feel your heart, Coller," the witch said. I have it in my hand. I also have your soul." Actrise began to laugh as Coller screamed in pain.  
  
"You want live to see me die? Then live.you shall!" Actrise then ripped one hand away from Coller's chest and then thrust her other one back to where she had placed her hand previously. Coller felt something new nd alien begin to surge inside him. He didn't realize it at first. He only thought about it until after she was gone. Actrise had ripped his heart and soul out from inside him and left him with a magical core beating inside his chest.  
  
Coller recovered quickly he remembered. The core inside him would no keep him moving forever without getting tired. His first order of business was to destroy all his work. He planned a self-destruct mechanism for the tower and then set it off. He then traveled to the castle center where he kept his notes and his workshop. He destroyed all that was there as well. His final stop before leaving the castle was the garden. There he found Victor. The soulless, heartless, shell that now reflected him. The difference between he and Victor was that Victor was a reanimated corpse. Coller was now a corpse in waiting. Coller bid farewell to the gardener but not without taking a little something for sentimental value.  
  
The sun was now shining in Coller's eyes. The downpour of past memories had finished. As always, he had not slept. As always he just sat there, immersed in his own past. Now the future lay ahead of him. In the distance he watched as the former man-wolf named Cornell awoke and began to move again. Coller slung his rifle over his shoulder and stood up to resume his pursuit. The hunter gently tapped the metallic instrument that was strapped to his wrist. His "keep sake" from the gardener had served him well over the years. Coller had discovered that he did not need to use steam to power the cutting blade, which he had heard described as a "chain saw" in the future. His magic core provided all the necessary power for its use. It was the same power that he had used to keep up with his prey and to hide from his senses.  
  
The last thing that crossed Coller's mind as he descended the gentle slope to pursue his prey was that any good hunter knows that there is a time and a place for everything.  
  
The time for his confrontation with Cornell was coming soon. The place, he sensed was very near. 


	4. Old foe, New Friend Redux

4. Confrontation  
  
For the past two days, Cornell had viewed the world through blurred and tired eyes. He ceased to be moving in a given direction and now relied on already tired instincts. Cornell was starving. Many times during the course of his journey he had trapped unsuspecting animals. He had held rabbits, raccoons, and others in his hands. His eyes would stare into theirs as he contemplated whether or not to eat them.  
  
"Big animals prey upon smaller animals." The thought crossed over his mind many times. Always the results of his contemplations were the same. He could not rip the tiny animal's head off and tear the meat from its interior. Cornell found the thought of blood spilling into his mouth repulsive. Nevertheless, he still did not know for sure.  
  
"Man or beast?" he mumbled as he staggered forward through the forest. Suddenly Cornell felt his feet trip over something. He was on the ground in less than a second. So exhausted did he feel that he was in no hurry to get up again. It was not until his senses became aware of that familiar feeling of being watched over that he struggled to get up. Even after getting on his feet Cornell lurched side-to-side and walking backwards. His head jerked left and right trying to find the source of the disturbance he sensed. Then he felt it come at him. From the shadows of a nearby bush a large figure leapt at him. With his blurred vision he could make out a humanoid shape with a large head. The figure pushed him to the ground and held him there with its weight. Cornell weakly tried to fight the figure off of him but it only seemed to anger him. Then he heard it. The sound of the gunshot pierced through air and brought about an incredible silence in the forest. The figure retreated and left Cornell lying on the ground. He remained still for what seemed like a long time but then a hand lifted his head up. Cornell felt the mouthpiece of a water canteen placed to his lips. Another figure appeared in his blurry vision. It was also humanoid and with a large head, but it was different. Cornell's dry lips were gently and slowly bathed and moistened by the water that the silhouette poured into his mouth.  
  
"Leave it to a man-wolf to piss off a bear."  
  
Cornell's vision suddenly came into focus as he stared up at the lone figure. He wore a large sun dried hat, his skin was gray like stone, and he seemed to be wearing what looked like bandages over his head. Despite the differences in his appearance, it was definitely the man Cornell once knew as Coller.  
  
"Coller, is it really you?" Cornell struggled to speak.  
  
"That it is, old friend." A smile crept across Coller's morbid features. Cornell wondered what had happened to the man he had known before. What could possibly have caused him to look the way he does now? How did he survive? All of these question plagued Cornell's mind, but for now he merely drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
When Cornell opened his eyes once more, he was lying inside a makeshift tent. Laid over him was thin cloth bed sheet. Outside he could hear and smell a campfire. Cornell slid out of the makeshift bed and walked out of the tent. From the look of the sun it was probably midday. Coller was hunched over a small cauldron cooking some sort of stew over the fire. He had removed both his hat and his coat. His front and back were bare except for some unusual straps that he wore all across his chest. In the light Cornell could see Coller as what he really appeared to be a walking corpse. His skin, his hair, and even the eyes stared up at him looked dead.  
  
"Coller. What happened to you? What are you doing here?"  
  
Coller poured some of his concoction into a bowl and handed it to Cornell. His morbid features produced a very slight grin.  
  
"Let answer those questions in reverse. What am I doing here? Well let me see. I think I am cooking you a late lunch. Cooking was never one of my strong points."  
  
Cornell sampled some of Coller's broth with his fingertip. He then looked to Coller and nodded in agreement.  
  
"As for what happened to your old friend Coller? Well, he died. So here I am."  
  
Cornell looked at Coller with a perplexed gaze that indicated his immediate lack of understanding. Coller therefore elaborated.  
  
"Okay, let me give the short version. All those years ago, when we were separated in the castle I awoke from my fight with that damn harpy to find myself Dracula's captive. He offered me a choice, join him or be eternally damned. Guess which I picked." Coller paused and took a deep breath. "This is the part of my story I really hate. I never really know how to say it."  
  
Cornell continued to stare at Coller and never allowed his gaze to breakaway.  
  
"He turned me into a lizard." Coller returned Cornell gaze and remained silent for several moments. "I mean a big lizard.not a small one."  
  
"Oh, of course," Cornell replied nodding his head. "A lizard man. Yeah I fought those a couple of times."  
  
"Hmmm, so I heard." Coller nodded.  
  
"Really?"  
  
He continued nodding until he finally continued his story. "I won't bore you with the details but I suffice to say I was stuck in the castle for many years. It was not until Henry and a couple of other people came to battle Dracula that I regained my human form. The witch Actrise gave it back to me. Of course it was for no good reason. She did out of spite. You see I had just lost my hand and a good chunk of my arm. As a lizard I would have grown it back but." Coller gestured indicating his human form. "I was back to normal again. So there I am, making my way out while taking care of some unfinished business at the same time, when Actrise appears again. She spite's me some more by literally ripping my soul out of me. So to sum it up, she left me as the one handed, walking undead, mixture of science and sorcery you have before you."  
  
Cornell nodded his head. "That makes things clearer."  
  
"It does, doesn't it?" Coller said grinning.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
Coller stood up from the rock he had sat on and walked over to where his coat lay. His hand reached into one of its many pocket and pulled out an object. Coller cradled it first in the palm of his hand but then turned and faced Cornell. Coller held onto the object's chain and let the small blue pendant fall from his hand. Coller approached Cornell and let the pendant land in Cornell's open palm.  
  
"A friend asked me to give this to you."  
  
Cornell closed his fist around the pendant and pressed it against his lowered forehead.  
  
"You and I have a lot in common Cornell. One of those things is Henry. You can't expect to walk into a young boys life after just losing his parents and then let go so easily. Believe me, I know. When his parents died you and I were all he had. Then the boy lost me first, and then you later. I am no specialist but I think that can play hell with a child's mind. You see believe it or not, we all make up some kind of weird family."  
  
Cornell stood up from where he sat and walked away from the camp. Coller followed him.  
  
"For God's sake man! Stop blaming yourself. Stop carrying around that guilt of yours like it means anything anyway."  
  
"Am I?"  
  
"What?" It was Coller's turn to look puzzled.  
  
"Am I man? I am not sure. I haven't been for some time."  
  
"Your problem Cornell is that you don't believe in yourself. As brave a man that you are, after all the hell you have been through you are just a man filled with doubt. That is something that I can't fix. That is something that Henry can't fix. Only you can fix that."  
  
Cornell nodded in silence.  
  
"I know where you are going. Henry knew that you would need that pendant to find the place your looking for."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Now the question is, are you ready to face your demons?"  
  
A blue light suddenly poured out of the pendant in Cornell's hand. The light enveloped everything in sight. When it dissipated, they were both gone. 


	5. Rendezvous

5. Rendezvous  
  
"Who are you?" The voice called out. "Why are you here?"  
  
Cornell stood in darkness. The void reminded him of the dark dimension where he once faced the vampire Dracula. It was infinite. The voice that called out to him called from within, not without. It was in his head.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I am Cornell." He responded.  
  
"No you are not."  
  
The outline of a man drizzled into existence right in front of Cornell. As the man came into shape, Cornell saw it was that of an old man. He was dressed in a long gray robe. His beard extended almost to the ground. His long fingers were thin as bone.  
  
"I knew a man-wolf named Cornell." The old man spoke in a strong and virile voice that contrasted his ancient appearance. "You are but a shadow of the man who came to me years ago." The old man slapped Cornell across the face. Cornell remained motionless.  
  
"It is worse than I feared." The old man began to pace around Cornell. He stared at him intensely studying his every detail. The old man had known Cornell before but nevertheless looked at him as if it were the first time.  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
"For what," Cornell asked.  
  
A smile crept across the old man's face. "To face fear." He then broke into a loud laugh. His hand lashed out and struck Cornell across the face once more. Cornell closed his eyes before the old man's hand touched his face. For a brief second Cornell waited for the strike, but it never came. His eyes remained closed but his nose was aware. A scent entered his nostrils. It was the scent of man. Cornell opened his eyes. No longer was he standing in a void. Now he stood in a dense forest. It was a familiar forest. He remembered it well. However it was not just that he knew the forest he was in, but he was overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu. He felt as though he were reliving a past moment. Cornell began to traverse the woods. He maneuvered through the forest until he came upon a campfire. The campfire was laid in the center of a small wagon train. Cornell walked towards the camp and saw no one. Abandoned.  
  
"What have here?"  
  
Cornell felt the brunt of a rifle barrel strike the back of his head. The pain roused every nerve in his body and he fell to the ground limp. The man who had hit him turned Cornell face up on the ground. Cornell looked into his face.  
  
"No." Cornell spoke in astonishment. "It can't be."  
  
"Infernal man-wolf. Did you think I would let you harm my family." The man stared into Cornell's eyes with hate. He then looked away to something that Cornell could not see.  
  
"Did you get the others?" The man called out. Cornell managed to turn himself and look in same direction as the man did. Three other man dressed similarly approached the camp. In their hands they carried heads, the heads of man wolves. Cornell nearly screamed in agony. Cornell turned an faced the man who had hit before. The man now held a small child in his arms.  
  
"See, Ada dear, your dad got you a man-wolf. You want me to rip his teeth out and make a necklace for you?" The small child just stared at Cornell and smiled as a child does.  
  
"No. No! These atrocities never happened. This is not the way it happened!"  
  
Suddenly Ada was gone and her father grabbed Cornell by the throat and picked him up.  
  
"You are right. These atrocities never happened. You massacred us. We were helpless. Helpless to a bunch of animals! Senseless, bloodthirsty, murdering animals!" Ada's father raised his rifle and took aim at Cornell's head.  
  
"What's the matter wolf man? Do you want to kill me?  
  
The tip of the rifle danced before Cornell's eyes. He thought that at any moment it would be over. Cornell heard the click as the hammer of the rifle was pulled all the way back. The click struck a chord in Cornell's mind. He felt a surge of adrenaline fill his body. The sound of Cornell's hand breaking the wind was heard as he grabbed the barrel of the rifle and ripped it from the man's hands. Ada's father did not seem surprised but nevertheless backed away from Cornell. Cornell leaped to his feet and poised himself to attack the man. The man merely turned and ran. Anger swelled up inside of Cornell as he followed him. Cornell followed him until he reached the back of one of the wagon trains. The man dove inside and Cornell dove after him. Inside Cornell raised his fisted hand as to strike. Cornell paused his attack his he watched his former attacker quivering in fear huddled with a small baby. Cornell stared into the baby's eyes.  
  
"Ada?"  
  
Then everything disappeared. The wagon, the camp, Ada and her father were all gone. Cornell was no longer standing but was lying on the ground. The ground was hard and cold. Cornell opened his eyes even though he did not remember closing them. Wherever he was, it was very foggy. Cornell stood up and scanned his surroundings. Once again it was familiar to him. It was the roof of a large structure. If he surmised correctly, it was a tower. Cornell peaked over the edge and saw a great abyss of clouds.  
  
"At last, I face the real you."  
  
Cornell turned to face the speaker. As he turned he knew who it was that awaited him.  
  
"Ortega."  
  
Ortega stood not ten feet away from Cornell. He looked exactly as he did all those years ago. This was the place where they met for the last time. It was an encounter that had haunted Cornell for years. Even his very words would continue to follow him through the years.  
  
Ortega displayed his teeth in a menacing grin. "I so wanted to drive the animal that you had locked within you, into the open. Here where I could fight it. I wanted all the world to know you for the animal you really are!"  
  
Cornell nodded. "And you succeeded. You were right. In my mindless animal state I defeated you."  
  
"Did you?"  
  
Cornell felt Ortega's hands clasp themselves around his throat. He felt himself being lifted into the air and being thrown back to the ground. The rock hard roof of the tower cracked under the force of Cornell's fall. Cornell felt pain surge to all parts of his body.  
  
"Show yourself!" Ortega yelled in a maniacal rage. He then raised his fists and brought them down upon the helpless Cornell. Cornell could feel as Ortega's fists beat down upon him. Such was the force of Ortega's blows that when he raised his hands up into the air they were stained in blood.  
  
"Show your.!" Ortega called out once more. A sudden grin swept across Ortega's face. Cornell had caught Ortega's fist midway to hitting him again. Leveraging himself on Ortega's arm, Cornell lifted himself up and threw his other fist into Ortega's face in the form of a strong punch. Ortega stumbled backwards a few steps. His grin had not faded a bit.  
  
"Yes. Let us do battle now and for all eternity. Two immortal beasts."  
  
"No!" Cornell launched a broad punch at Ortega and sent him flying backwards. Now Cornell stood above Ortega.  
  
"Our roles have been reversed." Ortega spit blood out. The blood hit Cornell's chest and he stared at it. Cornell then flashed his teeth and seemed prepared to howl with his fist raised into the air. The expression of his face suddenly changed but his fist came crashing down. Ortega continued to smile. Cornell felt something hard break against the force of his fists. Then the blood began to drown his hands. Cornell lifted his hands and stared at them. Then he let his gaze drift to Ortega's head. His grin was gone. In its place was a mute and expressionless face. The floor beside his head was cracked and stained with Cornell's blood.  
  
"You're wrong. I have let your words haunt me long enough. I am not an animal. I am a man."  
  
Ortega did not seem moved by Cornell's words. When he spoke again, it was as if not in his own voice. "To prove your self a man is not so simple. You still need to face your greatest demon of all."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Suddenly the voice that spoke from Ortega's body began to laugh. His body slowly dissipated into mist and finally into nothingness. Cornell's surroundings also began to blur until they too dissolved into a black void. A crack of thunder and a bolt of lightening startled Cornell but it also revealed a silhouetted figure. The obscure figure stood far away from Cornell. The vastness of the black void made the distance seem infinite. Another lightening bolt struck and in the flash of light the figure closed the distance between Cornell and himself.  
  
"At last. Face to face."  
  
Cornell stared into the familiar yet estranged face that stood before him. He was filled with disbelief that at one time he looked like such a creature. The dark gray fur that once kept him warm during winter nights. The long nose that directed him to his prey. The eyes and pointed ears that did not allow a single detail to escape his attention. It was a man-wolf that stood before Cornell. It was the man-wolf Cornell. The man-wolf Cornell extended his clawed hand and slashed Cornell across the face. Cornell recoil from the pain. The man-wolf Cornell howled. It then took its bloodied hand and licked it with his tongue. Cornell did not feel envy. He did not feel thirsty. Cornell felt angry. Cornell's fist connected with the man-wolf's. Every move that Cornell launched his opponent blocked and counter attacked. Cornell knew that he was facing a physical representation of himself. How do you beat yourself? Cornell pondered as he attacked, blocked and attacked again. Their struggle went on for what seemed like an eternity. Cornell began to feel his movements becoming automatic and rhythmic. He suddenly felt locked in a never ending cycle of fighting techniques.  
  
"What makes a man different than an animal?"  
  
Cornell heard a voice speak out loud in his head. Cornell felt like yelling back 'I don't know' but he was hypnotized by the fight at hand. However the voice was enough to get Cornell thinking. Throughout his life he had fought many times. He had fought for his tribe. He had fought for his village. Now Cornell fought for the right to choose what his soul was. Man or animal. It was at that moment that Cornell found the answer. At least it was his answer. If it worked then finally he would relieve himself of the guilt that had weighed down on him for so many years. If he was wrong, then he would have nothing to worry about.ever. At that moment Cornell ceased his attacks. The man-wolf's did not. It's claws suddenly inserted themselves into his chest. Cornell felt the man-wolf's claws digging into his chest and finally grasping its target. Cornell's body went cold as he felt his heart being ripped from its chamber. The man-wolf held his still beating heart in its palm. Cornell stared at it intensely. What followed was a feeling that if Cornell were ever asked to describe in words, he could not. The bloody and pulsating heart slowly changed form. Its soft and organic texture became smooth and sleek however it ke[t its blood red color. The heart became transparent as it took on a new shape. When its transformation was complete, Cornell saw what it was. His heart had turned into a red jewel. It was exactly like the red jewel Ada had been inside many years ago only this time he was on the inside. No longer was he staring from the outside within but from the inside. He stared out of of his jewel prison and saw only the void. With all the strength he could muster Cornell forced his way out of the jewel. His hands pushed against the interior of the jewel.  
  
"I am a man. I am a MAN!"  
  
The jewel burst into a hundred pieces and flew in every direction. Cornell dropped to his knees and stared upwards into the dark abyss. The blackness slowly trickled away and revealed a blue sky. Within moments Cornell was no longer in the void but where he always had been. He was on his knees and standing beside him was Coller and the nearby campfire they had made. Coller undead eyes looked into Cornell's. Coller smiled and nodded his head.  
  
"I'm ready now." Cornell said.  
  
"Ready?" Coller asked.  
  
"I'm ready to live." 


End file.
